Kingsport motel standoff draws crowd of onlookers

Rick Wagner, Kingsport Times News
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May 24, 2018 at 11:20 AM

KINGSPORT — Kingsport Police Department officers spent much of Wednesday evening on the scene of what appeared to be a standoff of sorts at the Super 8 Motel, 700 Lynn Garden Drive. The incident lasted just more than five hours and was visible from Lynn Garden Drive, drawing a crowd of more than 30 onlookers to a Dollar General Store parking lot.

“All the perceived excitement is over,” KPD Public Information Officer Tom Patton said via text shortly after 11 p.m. “This was all connected to an ongoing investigation, which due to the active nature of it, cannot be further discussed at this time. KPD personnel are still on scene but should be wrapping up and clearing the area shortly.”

The situation began at about 5:45 p.m. and was resolved, with no one taken into custody, after police forced their way into a room at about 10:53 p.m. Officers had gathered at the door at least twice previously but had not forced open the door. No one emerged from the room except for the police officers who went in after knocking the door open.

Witnesses at the scene said a woman ran from the hotel to the Dollar General at about 5:45 p.m., although it was unclear if she went back into the building or was taken to a local hospital.